Consider this your invitation to Indian cooking!
India is known for its rich and diverse culinary heritage, with each region offering its own unique and flavourful dishes.
From savoury curries to aromatic breyanis, there is no shortage of delicious traditional Indian foods to try. Whether you are a fan of spicy or mild flavours, there is something for everyone in Indian cuisine.
If you love Indian cuisine and want to expand your repertoire beyond a standard curry, it is worth investing in proper ingredients to ensure you perfect the flavours of any dish.
The great thing about having cooking staples in your kitchen is that you do not have to think about substituting ingredients and cooking becomes relatively easy and straightforward.
Here are some essential ingredients for stocking an Indian pantry.
Paneer
Paneer is an all-in-one combo for vegetarians. It is treated as chicken by vegetarian food eaters. You can get it roasted as a tandoori, fried, or just steamed. The soft marshmallow-like texture makes it easily eatable by all age groups.
Lentils
Lentils have been used as food ingredients for a very long time. They come with so much protein compared to other legumes apart from soybeans, as well as dietary fibre.
Spices
One of the most overwhelming aspects of the Indian pantry is the sheer number of crucial spices.
The good news is that you probably already have a number of them, or can find them at your local grocery store: cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, black peppercorns and bay leaves, to name just the basics.
Like any spice, they are best stored in a cool, dark place.
Curry leaves
It is hard to find fresh curry leaves, so if you see a recipe that requires it and you only have dried curry leaves, just use double the amount.
Curry leaves are important in Indian cooking; they are ground and roasted to be used in spice blends, added to chutneys, and fried in oil and other spices for a tadka, which is what gives dhals a rich, aromatic flavour.
Mangoes
One of India's most important fruits, mangoes come in dozens of varieties. They are eaten fresh and used in drinks, chutneys and pickles.
Jaggery
Jaggery, a palm or cane-based sugar product, is the main sweetener in Indian cooking. It is, of course, used in desserts, but it is also incorporated into many savoury preparations, particularly to balance out the tartness of tamarind.
You can buy it in powder form or in blocks, which must be grated.
Yoghurt
Called dahi in Hindi, Indian yoghurt, made from cultured cows or water buffalo milk, is high in butterfat and very thick. It is eaten plain or sweetened and is used extensively in curries and as a tenderizer in marinades.
Two popular applications are the herbed and spiced condiment, raita and the sweet or savoury beverage, lassi.
Saffron
Saffron is one of the Indian ingredients that are very rare to find. This is because each one of them is obtained from flowers producing only three pieces of saffron.
However, using a single front of this ingredient, you can change white rice into sunflower yellow rice with an amazing smell.
Rice flour
Rice flour is a fine, white powder made from grinding white long-grain rice. Free from gluten, it is often used in Indian cooking as an alternative to wheat flour to make Indian-style flatbreads such as South Indian appams or soft bread.
Rice flour also acts as a binding and thickening agent. You can make your own rice flour by crushing uncooked basmati rice grains in an electric grinder but it is also available in speciality shops and in most supermarkets.
Ghee
Ghee is a replacement for oil and butter. It adds a different aroma to the food. It can be added to any food substance like on Indian bread, lentils, even in breyanis, and other dishes.